I have a confession, I have an ugly kitchen. Yes, it is true, but I still love to cook for family and friends. Let me show you what I do in my ugly kitchen!

The Crock Pot Queen- history of the crock pot

I have affectionately been dubbed the Crock-Pot Queen from family and friends. I must admit I love my crock pot especially when I am working or have obligations. Pop the items in the crock in the morning and come home to a nice bubbling meal!

The Crock-pot...
almost everyone has one, but do they use them? Often they just stay in the
cupboard, completely unloved and underused. Slow cooking has been used for
hundreds of years to get the most out of food, but it used to be a lot more
work and time intensive than it is today.

Origins of
Slow Cooking

Slow cooking
has been around ever since people figured out how to make an iron pot. An iron
pot could be hung over a fire for many
hours while food simmered in it, or a smaller one could be filled with ingredients
and buried in the coals to cook. The obvious detriment to these methods was the
attention it took tending the fire all day and stirring the contents of the
pots.

Cooking on a
low heat for many hours tenderizes tough meats and also melts, creating a
tender, delicious meal that is full of nutrition. Long cooking times may also
be beneficial to tough root crops, making them more digestible. Dried beans and
lentils also benefit from a long cooking on low heat.

You
Grandmother’s Crock Pot

In the 1950s,
Naxon Utilities Corporation of Chicago created the first slow cooker. It was
called the Beanery All Purpose Cooker, and it was created to assist people in cooking
baked beans A ceramic pot that fit inside a metal pan with heating elements
around the inside. Rival in 1970 bought Naxon. The Beanery was redesigned as
the Crock Pot. During the 1970s, women were joining the workforce in rapidly
increasing numbers. The Crock Pot peaked
at this time because it helped working mothers feed their families as well. It
was easy to fill it before they left for work /Better yet, it was great to come
to home to a hot meal.

The Crock Pot
Evovled

Since the
1970’s, crock-pots have evolved. They now have ceramic pots that are removable,
making cleaning much easier than the older models. With older pots, one had to
be careful during cleaning that the electrical cord or outside of crock did not
get wet. . The newer ceramic inserts are dishwasher safe, as well, making clean
up e easier than ever. Some newer crock-pots have an additional setting and
timers and a few are even computerized and will change automatically to warm
when the food is done cooking.

Toady’s crock-pot
is more versatile. Beans, stews, casseroles, roasts and even deserts and warm
beverages can be made in the crock pot. Foods like lasagna, barbecued pork, and hearty
soups can be made with creativity and your crock.